A Hero, A Savior, A Spartan
by Spetsnaz Pinkie Pie
Summary: His luck is never absolute. How much will he have when Spartan 117 finds himself and his AI companion in a world almost home, but of different space and time. How much luck will he have when the Spartan II has to deal with the multiple Sekirei that will forever call him their Ashikabi. Yep a Master Chief in Shinto Teito... God help us all. Master Chief x Harem... Yep.


A Hero, A Savior, A Spartan

This is the start of the crossover with Halo and Sekirei. Honestly I wanted to write this because deep down I know the Master Chief, for all his hard work and dedication deserves his own harem... And that's pretty much it. Now it is going to be difficult to write because of the difficulty of the Chiefs emotions but also because I am in the Army, and well... I can't really go any further than that.

So... Yeah.

'.' Thoughts

"." Talking

I do not own Halo or Sekirei. It would be awesome if I did, but... To many legal issues and other stuff I don't want to get in to.

XxxxxxX

Chapter 1.

'How long has it been?' Cortana thought to herself as her avatar sat itself upon a single data pedestal. 'How long since I sent out that distress beacon?' The head of her avatar moved looking to the right, her gaze sent to the sole being that occupied the destroyed and broken frigate. "How long since you went to sleep, John."

Her avatar flickered red for a single second before turning back into it's usual blue translucent color. "It's... It's getting worse." Cortana said aloud as the hand's of her avatar grasped her head. "But it's all for you Chief. I would do anything in my power to keep you safe. Even," Cortana brought her hands back to her lap before she looked down onto the floor of the ship. "...Even if it means self-termination."

Cortana suddenly gave a faux laugh as she looked back to the Spartan sleeping inside his cryo-chamber. "I can't believe it. I'm watching over you like some hen watching over her hatchling. Hmmm. But that's what I am isn't it? I am my mother's shadow, out of any Spartan, I chose you to take care of just like I know my mother would have chosen you for me."

The eerie silence from the emptiness of space gave the AI all the time she wanted to look upon the sleeping Spartan and look back on all the two of them have been through.

"It seems only yesterday. Well for me it would seem so, that I was shuttled off to meet you by one of the best of the Spartan three's... Reach was home, not just for you and me Chief, but to every other Spartan that fought for her.

"But we were over-run, the world that many called home was burned to glass by the Covenant, and we fled. You, me, Johnson, Keyes, and all the others stationed on the 'Pillar of Autumn'.

"Then we found it. Halo. Such a beautiful wonder. It was the closest thing we have came to learning more of the forerunners. But we were followed, the Covenant, they were a relentless bunch. But by far the most horrifying was the Flood. They..." Cortana gave a sigh. "Did you know Chief, AI's, too can have nightmares?"

Cortana paused as her avatar stood up from her pedestal. "But even still you fought on taking every enemy, Covenant, Flood, even Forerunner, down if they stood in your path. Oh how moronic it was for Guilty Spark to believe he could deceive us...

"We lost so many there. Captain Keyes was a fine man that did his best to save everyone he could, but in the end we lost him like many others to the Flood. But Johnson? Now that man is crazy. And even after all this time I still don't know how he fled from Halo's destruction.

"And it was only the beginning..."

On and on she went telling the tale of the man whom, not alone, brought a galactic power of separate alien races down onto it's knees.

As Cortana reminisced of the past the AI being so lost in thought, didn't hear the constant beeping of the 'Dawn's' motion sensors flaring.

Cortana's avatar flared to a bright red as her thoughts began overwhelming her.

"And now where are we? Stuck somewhere in space waiting for someone, anyone to come rescue us?! It's unfair John! Everything you've done everything you've been through and I have to watch as you freeze in that blasted!"

Alarms began ringing aloud braking Cortana from what she wanted to say, her avatar's red color switched quickly to blue as panic etched itself onto her face.

"No..." Cortana whispered as she began searching through the 'Dawn's' motion sensors. Her panic grew as more and more red dots began appearing onto the motion sensor.

Quickly she switched from the sensors to any of the still functioning cameras still available on the 'Dawn', "Oh, oh God no..." She said in fright as her eyes gazed upon the sight before her.

There in the view of Cortana was a sight.

Hundreds upon hundreds of sentinels, of all classes, were heading straight for the 'Dawn, straight for her, straight for John.

John

"Chief. Chief!" Cortana yelled as she went to work on waking the sleeping Spartan.

Seconds passed and the cryo-chamber the Spartan lied inside began to thaw, the ice covering the lid melted giving the AI an unobstructed view of the super soldier.

Cortana watched and waited for the Chief to wake up and move, seconds passed and nothing not even a single tick was made by the Spartan.

"What?" She whispered. In a panic, the AI checked everything she could to see what was wrong. When she brought the diagnostics of the cryo-chamber up to view, the legs of her avatar buckled at the horror she was seeing.

"No... This, this can't be happening. John, wake up John. Please wake up."

It was failing, the cryo-chamber was thawing but the Spartan still lied, unmoving as if the chamber didn't.

"John please wake up!" She cried in desperation.

But still nothing.

She began to weep, it was all Cortana could do as she realized her Spartan, the one being whom fought through more hell than any other in the universe, the one whom fought through the bowels of the flood infested 'High Charity' to come rescue her, was gone.

Time seemed irrelevant. The sentinels invading the broken frigate were that as well. For whatever they did, coming and going as they past her and her Spartan, she didn't care.

"My oh my what's this?" A voice called out from the interior of the room. The voice sounded robotic to Cortana, just like... "Ah a Reclaimer! Oh joy, I have been waiting so very long to finally meet one of my masters greatest contenders!"

'A monitor. Just like Guilty Spark.'

"Hmm, but it seems he's in a comatose state at the moment, a shame. No matter we can move him to a medical bay once we get the ship into orbit."

'What? Orbit? Are we close to another Halo ring... Wait! He mentioned John being in coma.'

The monitor began to hum a happy tune just as it was about to leave the room and search further into the ship, but only to be stopped when it's single eye lens caught sight of Cortana laying on her data pedestal.

"Oh? Hello. I am monitor 057 Unhallowed Guardian, monitor of the Forerunner home world. Are you a construct built by the Reclaimers?"

Cortana mind raced with many thought's, so many her avatar flared red and like if in dept of pain, grabbed her head with a yelp.

"Oh... Oh dear. Construct I see that you are suffering from late stages of rampancy and for that I am sorry. Usually when a construct suffers from such an ordeal they are to be terminated immediately..."

Cortana had to fight through her pain to speak her words "No, please. I-I need him, he needs me." Cortana begged in a whisper.

"Hmmm. So you are a construct built by the Reclaimers?"

"Yes. I am Cortana, UNSC, AI, Serial number CTN zero-four-five-two-nine."

"Ah then it seems you are in luck, construct Cortana. As a vital piece of technology built by the Reclaimers, I will deem it necessary for you to go through both repairs and upgrades to stave of rampancy and to prolong your usage to your master's."

She couldn't help it, Cortana couldn't help but smile as the monitor said these words.

'But what about John' She thought.

"What about the Master Chief?" She asked Unhallowed Guardian.

"The Reclaimer? Once we reach orbit of the home world of my makers, the Reclaimer will be sent to the closest medical station to undergo treatment for any and all illnesses while monitoring him through his coma. It could be some time for the Reclaimer to awaken but I will make sure that his abilities are at their peek for when he does."

Cortana moved to sit up from her prone position to look directly to the monitor hovering before her.

"Thank you."

Unhallowed Guardian chuckled as it began floating backwards. "No thank is necessary construct Cortana, you were built by the Reclaimers, the inheritors of the mantle and the sole heirs to my makers technology. When you have finished with your repairs and upgrades I shall take you on a journey that spans eons as well as the galaxy we currently inhabit. For now though it is best for the sentinels to begin bringing the Reclaimers ship into orbit, farewell construct, until we meet again."

With that Unhallowed Guardian moved out of the cryo-chamber leaving Cortana alone to stare at the Spartan whom even though didn't move, was still alive.

"Wake up soon, John."

XxxxxxX

Time had passed since then. Cortana was, just like the monitor had said, was not just saved from the fringes of complete rampancy, but also upgraded to were the fear of rampancy was no longer a thing.

Time passed and the AI was able to do more, think faster and be at anyplace at any time she had chosen. Not only that, Cortana then had begun and proceeded to begin with creating and completing of many of the ideas that her mother had thought to create before the fall of reach.

Cortana was amazed at what her mother thought of all those years ago. And with help from Unhallowed Guardian, many of them were finished and ready to be Chief to use...

If only he would wake up.

"Hmmm, three months... Three months have passed and still he hasn't awoken." Cortana sighed as she stood before a forerunner console and went through the data she had learned ever since Unhallowed Guardian had her upgraded to a forerunner contender class AI.

"It's amazing. Humanity where a species that rivaled the forerunners in every way over a hundred thousand years ago. They travelled the stars with ships that far exceeded ours today, and with weapons that would make a mac cannon seem like a small salvo missile.

"Then of course all the equipment and weapons for their foot soldiers far exceeded what we have, even the Spartans Mjolnir, all though a scientific feat in itself for us today, was like an early prototype version for humanity combat skin back then." Cortana gave another sigh as she looked over the finished equipment she had Unhallowed Guardian build for the Chief.

"I wish John could be here to see this..."

"See what Cortana?"

The AI let out a shriek as she quickly turned around from the monitor... Only to see him, the Master Chief, standing before her in a black undersuit, with Unhallowed Guardian, floating right next to him.

"Chief you're awake!" Cortana yelled in excitement as she rushed over from the monitor to stand before the Chief in her new life size avatar.

The Chief gave a simple nod at this before looking around. "Cortana what happened? I remember we were left adrift on the dawn after the portal collapsed and I went into cryo-sleep... How much did..." The Spartan paused seeing Cortana before him with her life size avatar. "I miss?"

Cortana smile dropped as she thought back to what happened at the beginning of those three months.

"We were still adrift on the dawn when it happened Chief. I wasn't sure back then how long it had been but I was suffering from Rampancy at the time, meaning we must have been adrift for maybe three or four years.

"I didn't know what to do then, but luckily we came across this world..."

"Yeah, Guardian mentioned to me when I awoke that we were on the Forerunner home world. He also mentioned that I've been stuck in coma for three months."

"Three months, five days, seventeen hours and thirty seven minutes Reclaimer." The monitor confirmed as he moved forward to float next to Cortana.

"He's right Chief." Cortana spoke up. "I was checking the 'Dawn's' motion sensor at one point and found hundreds of sentinels moving in from the planet. I tried waking you from cryo-sleep, but nothing happened. You didn't move or said a single world. I checked your vitals and..."

The AI trailed off as she looked away from the Spartan. The Chief raised a brow at this and questioned.

"Cortana?"

"But it's okay now. Unhallowed Guardian was able to bring the 'Dawn' into orbit with moving you into the closest medical station and moving me here to undergo repairs. I've been hoping you would wake up soon Chief. So much has happened since we arrived."

"You didn't cause any trouble since I was asleep did you?" Even though situation wasn't Ideal and the Master Chief not one to be unprofessional, even he would know if a moment needed an uplifting move.

Cortana's smile returned as she heard the Spartans question. She also gave a slight giggle as her own mood improved from it. "No Chief, but what I did do was actually more fun..."

The AI trailed off as she turned and began walking back towards the monitor with Unhallowed Guardian floating and the Chief to stepping in motion.

"Chief you would not believe how much I have learned since I was repaired. In fact ever since I came back online all I have been doing is learning, as well as seeing to upgrading and making improvements to everything we have!" She finished with excitement in her voice.

John stared at the excited AI and wondered how much he actually missed. "Care to elaborate, Cortana?" The AI couldn't help but smile as she began typing away at the monitor to truly show what she meant.

It was only seconds that past when Cortana had stopped, with a blue light shining only a few feet away. When the light finally died, their floating where the blue light used to be, was a sight that caught the Master Chief's complete attention.

"Cortana, is that..." The Spartan trailed as he stepped forward to what was before him.

"You best believe it buster! That there is newest Mjolnir suit created, by yours truly. I call it the 'Mjolnir Mark X Power Assault Armor' for many reasons. This armor was made with some experimental plans Dr. Halsey had in mind for the new Mark VII armor, but the reason I call it the Mark X is because of Unhallowed Guardian's contribution to it's creation."

The Master Chief quickly looked towards Cortana and the Forerunner monitor with a look that said 'please explain'.

"Your construct is correct Reclaimer. The armor you were wearing at the time of your arrival, was considered in terms of my makers, primitive. But with the plans your construct has given me, along with the latest power suits created by the Iso-Didact, we were able to build a complete, unique, as well as revolutionary armor that proceeds what my makers had already created before the time of their demise by the flood."

"Surprised?" Cortana said as she saw the look on John's stoic face and could see the hint of a smile on his lips.

"I would be lying if I said no." The Chief replied as began looking over his new armor. The olive green color was gone and was now painted a dark forest green, but the most visual difference was that this new armor was less bulky and more smooth then the other and with with less grapple points. Just the way his new armor looked pleased the Spartan. But still he was curious.

"What kind of improvement's did you make?" He asked looking back from the armor and with a tone that showed only slight interest.

Cortana laughed. To anyone else the Chief would seem apathetic about the armor, but in truth and to the AI that has been with him for many years knows that he can't wait to put it on.

"That's going to have to wait Chief. There are still some things that I have to go over with you."

"What do you mean?" John asked.

"When you were placed at the medical station Unhallowed Guardian saw it fit that you would go through medical screening to make sure that you weren't injured... When you woke up you didn't feel any aches or pains?"

The Chief shook his at this. "No. I was actually surprised not waking up to a few stings of pain like I usual do." The monitor next to Cortana began to move forward to speak to the Chief.

"That is because Reclaimer, of the fifty-million Nano-Huragok, injected into your blood stream. After scanning you for any illnesses and injuries' protocol dictated that I should inject you immediately with the nanities to stave off and eliminate the remnants of flood particles still inside your body.

"As time passed and you slept through your comatose state, the Nano-Huragok began repairing all injuries you had already sustained, along with doing away the negative affects of your previous augmentations' along with improving the positive augmentations as well."

"Look at it this way Chief. As of right now your body has regressed back to when it was at it's peak at the age of twenty-four. As of now you will be able to run faster, your reaction time as been cut in half, your strength has been increased by fifty percent, your bones are 'now' truly indestructible. Think of Wolverines adamantium skeleton..."

The Master Chief only gave a look of confusion in response to Cortana.

"What? Not a fan of Marvel?" Cortana gave a sigh as the Spartan said nothing back. "Anyway. The Huragok have bolstered, your immune system, filtering out any viruses, diseases, poisons, or toxins that may enter your system. Though I did instruct them to fix a certain side effect from your augmentations. Your suppressed 'sex drive' is being brought back up to normal human standards.

"It will be slow but that's only to make sure your hormones don't overwhelm you. I mean they have been suppressed for a very long time. Think of it as a second puberty."

The Chief's eyes widened at Cortana's words before his face formed a slight frown. "Any reason why you thought that was necessary?"

Cortana scoffed at the look the Chief was giving and decided to give him, her reason why.

"Because Chief, when the time comes, and yes it will. The UNSC will win against the loyalists. Unlike the beginning of the war, now we outnumber them. And with the members of the former Covenant on our side, the Elites, Grunts, Hunters, and the Forerunner Huragok, how long do you really think the loyalists will last?

"And when that's done what's next? Sure a conflict may erupt from time to time, but who knows when? Besides, time will pass and eventually you may be thinking about having a family of your own. Just like Maria-062."

Chief stood their looking at the AI and thought about what Cortana was saying. He spent all of his life training, learning, growing stronger to protect humanity from all threats. He spent thirty years fighting both the Covenant and the Flood; Humanity will rebuild colonize more worlds but they will do so with technology and a fighting force that will have no rival from any place in the galaxy. John continued and thought of the possibilities' for him and eventually, he realized, just like many times before, Cortana was right. He couldn't stay in Cryo-sleep forever and time will go on and the UNSC won't need an aging Spartan anymore.

But even so that time hasn't come yet. Humanity is still fighting and dying against the Loyalists'. "Even so Cortana their is still a war to be won. I will deal with it for now though... Is their anything else I should know about the Nano-Huragok?"

"Actually yes, Chief. The Nanities in your body are also currently removing broken and dead cell tissue and spawning new ones."

John's eyes widened as he turned to her for confirmation. "With my augmentation I would have outlived a regular person by fifty years Cortana. How long will the Nanities pro-long it now?"

That question actually caught the AI off-guard. She really didn't think about such a thing until now.

"If I may interject Reclaimer. Humans dating back to before the Halo Arrays were activated, humans, on average, would live for a total of one hundred and twenty years, given their lifestyle choices. With my calculations of both the human aging process and the Nanities placed inside your body along with the addition of the augmentations given to you in your youth. By my calculations, no less than two-hundred and fifty years, Reclaimer. But that is only if you do not re-inject yourself with the Nanities every one hundred years. years."

All was silent as the monitors words finished. The realizations hit both the Spartan and his AI like a ton of bricks.

"Then in the end. I will outlive my spouse and any children I have."

That thought brought Cortana's emotion down for only a second, but quickly the thought changed as a new one ran through her mind. "It's okay Chief, I have a plan to remedy that when the time comes, so don't worry about it now. Besides, I don't think you'll be going out to find a wife at this particular time right?"

John caught the humor in Cortana's words and couldn't help give a small smile.

"Well Chief, with that done we can finally move on to your new armor."

John only gave a nod as he turned back and looked at his new armor and wondered how far Cortana went to improve the armor from the Mark VI variant.

"Chief, what you are looking at is the next gift my mother wanted to give you and the other Spartan II's before she went missing. You won't believe what ideas Dr. Halsey had for the Mark VII, and with help from Unhallowed Guardian, all of them were achievable. Plus other things."

John brushed his hand over the forest green armor before turning to the AI. "Your not going to tell me I'll be a walking tank in this are you?"

Cortana laughed at that as she shook her head. "Chief, you were a tank in the Mark VI. In the Mark X you might as well be Thor."

The Chief raised questioning brow at that. "Thor? The Norse god of thunder?"

"Yes, actually. Thor the only being to be able to wield the hammer 'Mjolnir', and you the same only being able to use this armor, so yeah. If I was to compare you and the Mark X to anyone it would happen to be Thor. Well maybe the Hulk mixed in with Ironman... Actually yeah, you being as strong as the Hulk, your armor slightly similar but way more advanced then the Ironman suit, while being almost impossible to destroy like Thor's hammer 'Mjolnir."

The Chief was stuck speechless as Cortana went ranting about things he had never heard before. But with the AI, comparing him to a Norse god... "So what? I'll be like a god in my new armor?"

Cortana blinked a few times before shaking her head. "Well close to being one Chief. Here let me give you the specs on your new armor." Cortana typed in a few commands on the console just before a holographic screen came up next to the armor. Cortana then highlighted the outer most plating of the 'Mjolnir, with text appearing next to it.

"The composition is nothing like the Mark VI. The alloy in this armor is stronger, more resilient to bullets, plasma, even the forerunners' light-based weapon's will have a tough time trying to penetrate it. The reason is because why it was created. Unhallowed Guardian this is about your creators so I'll let you inform him."

The Chief turned to the floating monitor whom surprisingly has been quiet since Cortana started to rant.

"Most certainly construct." The monitor said happily as it moved forward next to the armor. "Reclaimer, the material that made this armor was taken from a prototype nanotechnology-membrane composite. Previously wielded on the Iso-Didacts prototype Class 18 Combat Skin. It was by far more advanced than it could have been if the prototype was given enough time for field testing. In addition, your armor was plated with a dense metallic composition, similar to the alloy used on the ships and buildings of my creators. The composition was made for the Class 18 Combat Skin, so that incase of Flood infestation, the suit itself could not be penetrated unless given enough force."

"In simple terms Chief, you can take a round from a Scorpion tank and it wouldn't affect the armor. Plasma won't burn it off and Flood, even if they were still around, can't penetrate it. As long as you don't stand in the way of a nuclear strike or of a Covenant carrier plasma beam, you'll live through most of everything... Just don't get hit by more than one Scorpion round ok. You armor maybe impenetrable but you can still suffer for damage to your organs."

"Then I'll be sure to not walk in the way of a Scorpion tank."

Cortana harrumphed with a smile before calling John a smart ass. "Anyway, this is only the tip of the iceberg that is the Mark X. We still have to go over many things, like the star reactor that powers the armor, your personal shields', oh and I when I say shields' Chief, I mean plural as in more than one. Than there are the different abilities your suit can use, like 'Armor Lock', 'Active Camouflage, 'the Regeneration Field, also..."

"Cortana." John said aloud cutting off the AI from going on and placing her attention straight on the Spartan. "Is the Mjolnir' ready for combat?"

Cortana just stared at the Master Chief puzzled at why he would cut her off from listing the many great achievements she made with the Mark X, but when she looked into the Spartans' eyes that's when she couldn't help but laugh.

"Hahaha, oh my... Oh my God! Hahaha!" The Chief looked at the AI, bewildered on why she was laughing for the simple question. "Oh my God! Your that excited to use your new armor Chief!?" Cortana snickered on even more so when she caught John giving her a dead panned stare.

"Oh Chief, don't look at me like that. I've been with you for all these years I can tell your giddy about the Mjolnir' just by seeing the look in your eyes."

John could only shake his head before turning back to the Mark X and taking the forest green helmet with the single orange visor in his hands.

The Chief didn't care for aesthetics, he could care less if the armor was colored green, blue or black. But what he did care for was the things his new armor was able to do. And unlike what Cortana had said, he wasn't "giddy with excitement", over the Mjolnir'. No he was more leaning toward to being very intrigued in it's capabilities and what he can do with them.

Without hearing any objections coming from Cortana or Unhallowed Guardian, John took the new helmet and placed it on his head. Their he watched as visor lit up and text began rolling across the screen.

{-Mjolnir' Mark X activated...

Scrolling text sped through the visors screen, it was a blur to the Spartan before one last line slowly scrolled onto the visor.

{-Waiting for neural authentication...}

It was then the Master Chief felt a sensation in the back of his head, like a million tiny bugs crawling into his neural import making his body stiffen from the feeling. It could have been five maybe ten seconds later when John felt the sensation leave and he felt his body relax.

The next second though he watched more text began rolling across the screen.

{-Authentication verified: Welcome Sierra-117-}

When the text cleared the outlines of the visor began to shimmer blue. Seeing this the Chief quickly turned to Cortana, whom only smiled as she pointed to the armor beside him. Again he turned and this time to his new armor where he found that it too, like his visor, shimmered blue. John watched as his armor separated into hundreds of different pieces that began floating around his form.

Now he watched as piece by piece of the Mark X began configuring itself around him. It started first with the chest and groin before expanding out as pieces shifted and began sliding into place to cover his thighs and arms until the Mjolnir finally finished ending with his gloves and boots.

He was stunned. The Chief has seen many things in his life, the Covenant, Flood and Forerunners'. But even then he never seen how easily a suit, a half-ton armored suit can be so easily put together with out the help of machines or a fellow Spartan to help assemble.

"Stumped aren't you?" The voice of Cortana came along knocking John away from his thoughts.

"Yeah." Chief only said in return. The Spartan II gave an experimental flex with his right arm and again he was caught off guard as his arm did not only just hit his chest plate, but hit it with enough force that caused himself to stumble back a couple steps.

"Watch it Chief, this armor is boosting your strength to two times to what it was with the Mark VI. Here I think it's best you go through the tutorial I made for you. Best for you to learn and train rather than start off like a Neanderthal."

The Master Chief waited for only a second as more text began scrolling onto the screen of his visor.

{-Tutorial activated-}

Cortana watched with a smile as her Spartan began going through the motions of his tutorial. It was funny to watch at first as he moved like a newborn toddler trying to figure out how to do things. But soon watching began to bore the AI, and with another thought coming to her she turned to Unhallowed Guardian whom simply watched the Reclaimer go through his tutorial.

"Hay, Guardian." The monitor turned from watching the Spartan to face Cortana.

"Yes, construct Cortana, how may I be of service?"

"We should go and check on the Dawn, give the Chief some time to figure out his new armor. He shouldn't take long, he's a quick learner."

The monitor hummed and gave Cortana a simple nod. "As you wish construct, let us make way." With that Unhallowed Guardians moved out of the room and too wherever the 'Dawn' was stationed.

Cortana remained for a few short seconds watching as her Spartan began doing experimental jumps that caused him to shoot off into the air a good twenty feet before falling back down. She smiled watching him continue on only until her avatar flickered then disappeared from the room.

XxxxxxX

The day was ending as the sun sunk into the horizon of the forerunner world letting the moon rise on high. The Master Chief, after spending hours going through the tutorial programs in his armor, was first, in a long time, exhausted.

He inhaled in a heavy breath as he sat in a floating chair that was actually able to hold the entirety of his half ton form. John may have been exhausted from the intense training his armor put him through, but in truth the Spartan was utterly fascinated on what Cortana and Unhallowed Guardian had built for him.

His top running speed reached to an astonishing 75 kilometers' per hour exceeding his team mate kelly-087 by a large margin. His strength before at it's height could lift over ten tons. But now? If he pushed he could possibly lift close twenty-four.

Next was the different abilities Cortana had hardwired into his new armor. The armor-lock feature before, would drain the shields of the Mark VI completely no matter how brief a Spartan went into it. But with the Mark X it would only drain a quarter on his fourth layer of over-shield. And their was also the fact that even when the armor-lock was canceled, John was able to move the instant it was over unlike before where a Spartan wouldn't be able to move for a split-second.

And in that very short lapse of time could mean a Spartan going M.I.A...

The technology for a Spartan to camouflage themselves was a far cry to what the Covenant were able to do, but even then their stealth technology like the UNSC's was imperfect. It was technology of the forerunners that perfected such a feature. Now with the active camouflage enabled, John, could walk, run even sprint and it would be as if he wasn't there. Not a trace or shimmer of his seven foot stature to be seen even the sounds of his boots hitting the metallic floor where muffled by the cloaking.

Next came the thrusters that were placed on his back and calves. Just a simple activation and he could be anywhere within twenty meters of his last location. He imagined himself using the thrusters to propel himself into a group of brutes and the after affects it would have. The regeneration field didn't test out well though. Reason why, the Chief had no reason to use it. He wasn't injured and their was nobody else there that would need him to use such an ability, but he knew Cortana, and he knew that she she wouldn't have given it to him if it didn't work...

There was also one ability that caught his attention. The 'Promethean vision'. With the Mark VI, John could find almost any being with the inferred vision his helmet had, but even still, against forerunners he wasn't able to detect the machines if they were close. But with the Promethean Vision it showed the entire enemy body in bright red when he gave test on the Sentinels close by.

For John it was one thing to have a close to nearly indestructible knife used for CQC, but another ability his armor had was the ability to spring up two light-based daggers from his wrist that can cut through solid steel with nothing more than a quick flick of the wrist.

John was beginning to think back onto the other tutorials Cortana had given him only to be distracted by the flickering light coming from the console nearby.

"Well Chief, did you have fun?" Cortana's voice sounded off as the flickering light died down and with the AI's avatar replacing it.

The Chief gave a nod before commanding his helmet to retract back into his armor. "In a way yes." He said as the helmet began to split into many small pieces before it retracted back.

"So... How did it go?" She questioned the Spartan.

Instead of answering the AI, John stood from the floating chair and waited. Then in a flash of silver light Cortana caught the sight of the gauss powered MA7C assault rifle right in the Spartans hands.

She smiled at the Chief knowing he was able to figure out the infinite-rucksack, Unhallowed Guardian, had created to store the newly created U.N.S.C. weapons along with Covenant and Forerunner weaponry.

"So I see you completed all the tutorials I've given you? I saved the rucksack objective for last to see the look on your face when you realized you had every single U.N.S.C. Covenant and Forerunner weapon on you. And I can already see you figured out how to obtain which weapon you need when you need it."

Another nod from the Chief and another flash of silver and the assault rifle was gone. "Yeah. Did some experimenting with it, tried switching from weapon to weapon. You might have gotten kick at my reaction when I first witnessed it."

Cortana gapped at the Chief's words before she crossed her arms and scrunched her nose giving John an annoyed frown.

"Your just a big tease aren't you?"

The Spartan only chuckled at the AI's displeasure.

At the far end of the room forerunner doors slid open with the monitor Unhallowed Guardian floating into the room.

"Ah Reclaimer, I see that you have finished with your tutorials." The monitor stated before turning to Cortana. "Construct Cortana, I have run the calculations you have asked and I am glad to say that the Destroyer 'Forward Unto Dawn' shall be finished exactly twenty-seven days sixteen hours and fifty-seven minutes."

John stared at the floating monitor for a few seconds before turning to the AI.

"Cortana?" His words went unnoticed as Cortana answered the monitor.

"Good work Guardian, I thought it would take longer but those Huragok really know how to build."

"Indeed they do construct. A very helpful species the forerunners created. If that is all for now Construct Cortana then I shall take my leave." Cortana gave a nod to the monitor just as Unhallowed Guardian turned and left the room leaving the AI and a confused Spartan behind.

"Cortana?" The Chief asked again this time taking a step forward to the AI grabbing her attention. "What's going on? What did Guardian mean by the Dawn being a 'Destroyer'?"

"It's the next surprise I have for you Chief." Cortana said as she smiled. "You know that the 'Dawn' was severed in half after the halo on the Ark was fired. Useless to us then, but now being here? And with help from Guardian and the Huragok, rebuilding it. calling the 'Dawn' a frigate would be like calling me a dumb AI.

"I know your curious about the ship Chief but this I want to keep a surprise to you until it's finished. ok?"

John watched as Cortana eyes grew larger and sported a pout with her lips quivering has if she was going to cry. He remember her doing this once before on the first halo installation. He also remembered that even then it didn't work.

But the Chief thought for a second and decided not to push it. Cortana had already given him so much since he awoke and even still she was going above and beyond to give him everything he needed to succeed for the future.

"Alright, I'll wait."

Cortana face lit up with a smile after hearing that. "Excellent! Trust me Chief your going love your new ship. Alright let's get you some food then it's off to bed mister. Tomorrow you start your advanced training with your armor, and by the time the 'Dawn' is repaired, you'll be able to use the Mark X like you've had it you're entire life..."

XxxxxxX

The days passed without incident has the Master Chief began mastering the Mjolnir' Mark X. Cortana along with Unhallowed Guardian pushed the Chief further and further each day with obstacles, sentinels, and even life threatening campaigns to really see what the Spartans limits were in his armor.

And he not once, disappoint either AI.

When the day finally came for the new 'Forward Unto Dawn' to be reveled, it would also be the same day for both the Master Chief and Cortana to finally head back home. To Earth.

John sat inside a nearby mess hall where he was able in the first in a long time eat meal that was most satisfying to any person that could have partaken it. It was rare for John to eat real eggs, real toast, real pancakes' and of course, real bacon. Compared to field rations this meal was like eating a meal from a five star restaurant...

John was close to finishing his meal when he spotted a familiar flashing light on a data pedestal. He immediately knew what it was, so to prepare, he placed his fork back on his plate and waited for Cortana's avatar to appear.

And like clock work Cortana appeared with a translucent hand on the hip of her translucent body. "Well John, today's the day. You ready to go home?"

The Chief only gave a nod before picking up his fork and taking one last bite of his meal.

XxxxxxX

There she was, the Dawn', floating high above the planet.

"Impressive isn't it?" Cortana asked him

For the Chief that was one word he would use, although there could have been better choices. The 'Forward Unto Dawn' looked exactly as it previously did when the ship was under the command of Commander Miranda Keyes, just larger.

Much, much larger.

"As you can see Chief, the 'Dawn' was more than just rebuilt. It stands at over two-hundred meters tall, it's width over three-hundred and over one-point-two-kilometers long. It has been retrofitted with three, count them, three! mac guns that can each fire three, one-thousand ton slugs at 40,000 kilometers per second every sixty seconds. The archer missiles were upgraded to V2 status with having a bigger bang if you know what I mean.

"The M870 Rampart 50mm Point-Defense Network were replaced with forerunner long range light-based pulse lasers that will penetrate shields then a ships hull in a matter of seconds. The archer missiles were also upgraded to have twice the damaging effect from it's predecessor.

"The hull is close to being indestructible due to it being three feet thick and the alloy used was taken from three Forerunner ships. But of course the only way for the hull to be hit would be if someone was able to take down the ships shield system. Impossible I say because even if three Covenant super-carriers where to fire their main plasma weapons at the 'Dawn' for a good five minutes' they would only take down a quarter of the ships shields.

"The Shaw-Fujikawa Translight Engine was gutted out and replaced, and before you say anything hold on your going love me even more. The Huragok have been tinkering with both Forerunner and U.N.S.C. slip-space engines and have created something fantastic. Now U.N.S.C. engines could only move a ship up to 2.625 light years in a single day right?" The Chief only shrugged for his answer.

"Great lotta help you are big guy... Anyway, the forerunners' on the other hand had built a slip-space engine that could travel over two-thousand light years in a single day.

"Wow"

Cortana giggled at the Chiefs reaction. "I know right! Now like I said before the Huragok were tinkering with both engines when something amazing happened. Some how they were able to combine both engines together creating a one magnificent piece of hardware were theoretically, it could travel up and possibly beyond 2,500 light years in a single day!"

"If it's as fast as you say Cortana then we should get in and get back to U.N.S.C. space."

The AI's cheerful attitude switched like a light hearing the Spartans words. "Seriously!" She yelled at him with contempt. "That's all you can say Chief, is that we need to leave? Aren't you intrigued, impressed? I mean this is a breakthrough for both U.N.S.C. and Forerunner technology!"

"Which Is why we need to leave." He said back to defend himself. "Cortana, it's not that I am not impressed, truly I am. But, what we have here is beyond what many people have ever dreamed of for the U.N.S.C. to have. If we can get the 'Dawn' back to Earth, think of how better equipped humanity would be for the future.

"Humanity needs to know about this, about us. We haven't been able to contact Highcom even with using forerunner communications, we've been M.I.A. long enough Cortana, it's time to go."

Cortana stared into the Chiefs orange visor her scowl reflecting in it's image. It's not that Cortana didn't already think of such things, she just wanted the Chief show more enthusiasm, more emotion. To be more human rather than act like a machine.

The AI only gave a sigh as her scowl fell and she gave her translucent fingers a snap.

In an instant, the Chief found himself being surrounded by golden light surrounding his figure. In an instant the Chief where he had seen this last... And hoped it didn't end the same way it did back then.

XxxxxxX

'I think she did it on purpose this time.' The Chief thought to himself as he pushed his entire half-ton form off the floor of the Dawns' bridge.

A soft giggle came from beside the Spartan. He didn't have to turn his head to know that Cortana (if not physically showing it) was in hysterics at what she had done to him.

"Reclaimer do you acquire assistance?" The monitor Unhallowed Guardian asked as he circled the Chief.

John only shook his head as he stood tall reaching up to his 7ft 2inch stature.

"Is the Dawn' ready to go?"

The monitor hummed to himself for a quick second as his blue eye turned green. "I would have to say Reclaimer, that the ship 'Forward Unto Dawn' is 100% prepared for departure. The Destroyer is fully stocked with supplies to last for quiet some time.

"The armory, medical stations and vehicle bay are fully stocked with weapons, medical supplies as the vehicles are fully repaired and fully operational for use. In addition 1000 Huragok have been stationed upon the Dawn' to sure that repairs or upgrades are sufficient. They shall only respond either to you Reclaimer or to your construct."

"Very good Guardian, thank you."

"My only objective is to serve you Reclaimer, just as my makers ordered me too."

"Will you come with us Guardian?" Cortana asked the monitor.

Sadly the monitor could not. Protocol dictated that although his objective was to help the Reclaimers, his main objective was to watch over the Forerunner home world.

"Unfortunately I cannot construct Cortana, but I may have a solution. If you would please excuse me for a few minutes, only until I return."

A nod from the Chief was given and in a flash of golden light, the monitor teleported away.

John walked throughout the bridge seeing the fine details of his ship. It truly was amazing that the 'Dawn' was able to operate again. He took the the center of the bridge, to the Captains Chair. It seemed comfortable to sit in if he wasn't wearing his armor, but sturdy enough to sit in if he was.

He looked to his left to check on Cortana only to find her at a computer monitor typing away.

The Chief gave a sigh as he turned back and sat on the Captains' Chair. He sat in silence for a minute or so before he called out. "Cortana."

"Yeah Chief?" The AI answered back as she checked on the Dawns' systems.

"Thank you." She heard from him causing the hands of her avatar to freeze. It was the way he said those words, those two small words that made her smile. To anyone else that would have heard them it would seem like a small gesture. But to Cortana she knew it was more than that, and that is why she was smiling.

"Anything for you big guy."

The whirring sounds of the Dawns' system's coming online caught the Chiefs ears. The bridge lit with a symphony of colors as monitors consoles beeped indicating activation and ready for use.

"Well everything's good and ready to go Chief, just waiting on Guardian now."

Timing was excellent for the monitor as he teleported aboard the bridge.

"I rectified the problem construct Cortana, and if you wish Reclaimer, I shall accompany you back to the Reclaimer home world."

"Hold on, on that Chief, Guardian what exactly did you do?"

"I have split a single copy of myself construct Cortana and placed it inside a monitor husk, so that my my main objective of watching over the forerunner home world is still being done."

"Wow, way to cheat the system Guardian"

Silence followed afterwards as the monitor said nothing in return to the AI.

"Alright, you can come Guardian. Best so you can explain to my superiors on where we have been."

"I will do my best to not disappoint, Reclaimer.

The Chief gave a nod before turning to his AI companion. "Then let's get going. Cortana."

"Already on it Chief. I placed Earth's coordinates in the Dawn', once we reach a far enough distance, I will activate the slip-space engines then we will be on our way back home."

John gave a nod as he looked at the Dawns' view screen ahead of him.

The three waited as the Dawn' began moving away from the forerunner home world. John wanted to look back only for a second to see what the world look like from such a distance, but decided to forget it.

"Alright you guys I'm switching on the slip-space engine. You ready?"

"Most certainly Construct." The monitor answered.

The Chief said nothing as he kept his eyes on the view screen.

As the blue tear in space opened and the Dawn' made way into the eerie blackness of slip-space. No one, not Cortana, Unhallowed Guardian or the Master Chief caught the outline of the blue tear flash purple for only a single second before reverting back to its original color.

"What is the status on the Dawn' Cortana?"

"The Dawn' is fine Chief, everything is showing green across the board, as the most advance U.N.S.C. AI I would say it was clean... Uh oh."

"Cortana?"

The AI was about to answer the Spartan only to be silenced at the entire destroyer began to shake. John quickly jumped from the Captains Chair and quickly moved to the AI's console.

"Chief something is definitely wrong! I'm getting readings on the slip-space engine, it's speeding up. 150% 200%!"

"Abort Cortana, get us out of slip-space."

"I've already tried Chief, but the engine isn't responding to my command. I've tried over writing the engines mainframe and still nothing. Chief if we don't do something soon the Dawn' could very well break itself apart!"

"Calamity!" Guardian yelled from the other side of the bridge before quickly moving to John. "Reclaimer, all 1,000 Huragok are attempting to find a solution to the engine but are having no such luck."

Cortana gave out a gasp just before the ship began bucking wildly. The Spartan activated his magnetic boots to stop himself from being thrown into the computer console.

"We're reaching 300%!"

"Cortana shut everything off, I want a system wide blackout on the entire ship."

The AI turned to him, her mouth open in shock. "Chief, we can't! If we do the Dawn' could come out of slip-space anywhere and crash into a planet or a star!"

"Cortana we're out of time, if we don't stop now then like you said the Dawn' could rip itself apart. This is the only option I can see where we have a chance of surviving. I may have been in a coma Cortana, but don't count out my luck just yet."

The Master Chief would soon know how right he was with those words. For when Cortana had done so, she only had a single nano-second to jump into the Master Chiefs' data chip before the Dawns' entire system blacked out and the ship came to an immediate halt out of another tear through slip-space.

XxxxxxX

The Master Chiefs luck was truly something, for when the Dawn' exited the fabric of slip-space, she found herself nesting over above the very planet the inhabitants' inside needed to be.

But even still his luck could never absolute. For even though the planet below was the one the Spartan destined to return to. The one below was of different space and different time.

And on the ground below in a city known as Shinto Teito, many beings looked up into the sky. Though there were all apart from the others, they all felt the same sensation together.

They all felt the flare in their hearts. Only few under stood what it meant, others denied it. But it was useless. Soon these beings were too meet the one they destined to be with. The one person they would forever call, their Ashikabi.

Chapter end.

Well first chapter was that. I was having trouble with chapter because I wasn't really sure if I could incorporate all of... that and somehow work Sekirei into it. I'm not sure if the first chapter was any good. If you can please, please, PLEASE comment. And just give in your two cents, I would be very appreciative.


End file.
